Soft Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe with golden, chewy edges and buttery, fluffy centers. Learn how to make everyone’s favorite gooey and delicious cinnamon sugar cookie recipe below!
Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodles are one of my favorite cookies. Up there with oatmeal cookies and these browned butter chocolate chip cookies, a great snickerdoodle recipe checks all the right boxes:
- perfectly crispy, crunchy, chewy edges
- with soft, buttery centers
- just the right amount of tang from the cream of tartar
- with a thorough coating of cinnamon and sugar
Perfect for parties, potlucks, and holidays including Thanksgiving and Christmas, these cookies are so good, I highly recommend making a second batch of these gooey crisp cookies.
Why Is It Called a Snickerdoodle?
According to the cookbook, “Joy of Cooking” the word snickerdoodle is probably German in origin. It is thought that the name may have been derived from the German word for “crinkly noodles”, Schneckennudeln. There have been other claims made over the year, but the true origin of the word still remains a mystery.
Ingredients and Frequently Asked Questions
- Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Flour
- Cream of Tartar
- Baking soda
- Salt
A good snickerdoodle recipe is made with a handful of simple pantry ingredients. Easy enough for bakers of all skill levels (yes, even kiddos with adult supervision) the result should be cookies that are pillowy soft and shimmering with cinnamon sugar.
What is cream of tartar?
Cream of tartar has a variety of purposes:
- Stabilize whipped egg whites
- Prevents sugar from crystallizing
- Acts as a leavening agent for baked goods
In the case of snickerdoodles, cream of tartar adds the characteristic tanginess and just the right amount of chew to each delicious cookie.
What can I substitute for cream of tartar?
This recipe calls for 1.5 teaspoons cream of tartar and 0.5 teaspoon baking soda. Possible substitutions if you don’t have cream of tartar include:
- Baking Powder: Baking powder works when your recipe contains both baking soda and cream of tartar. This is because baking powder is made of bicarbonate and tartaric acid, otherwise known as baking soda and cream of tartar. For this recipe, use 2 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder to replace 1.5 teaspoons cream of tartar.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Here, you’ll replace 1.5 teaspoon cream of tartar with 3 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice (in other words, for every 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, use 1 teaspoon lemon juice).
How to Make the Best Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Cream the butter and sugar for at least 4-5 minutes before even thinking about adding the eggs and vanilla extract. This beats air into the mixture making for a lighter and fluffier snickerdoodle recipe.
- Combine your dry ingredients – the flour, cream of tartar (don’t forget the cream of tartar for that signature snickerdoodle tang and perfectly chewy texture), baking soda, and salt. Whisk it all together in a large bowl.
- Combine the wet and the dry ingredients, making sure you don’t overmix. If you tend to overmix your cookie batter, I recommend folding the flour mixture into the sugar mixture just until combined.
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop your cookies into small balls and use your palms to roll them into small balls. Roll them, and then roll them again, in your cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Bake them at least 2-3 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Unless, of course, you want one giant cookie?
Yes, this is how you make the best cookies ever.
Serve them warm, and soft, and gooey with cold milk, or, topped with scoops of icy vanilla ice cream.
Tips for Making the Best Classic Snickerdoodle
- Cream your butter and sugar for at least 4-5 minutes. Prolonged creaming of the butter and sugar gets it nice, light, and creamy, really working air into the dough.
- You can mix in the dry ingredients with a hand mixer or stand mixer set on low-speed, but folding in the dry ingredients by hand is best. This guarantees that your dough won’t be overmixed.
- Arrange your cookies at least 2-3 inches apart. I learned this the hard way when my first batch of cookies baked into not twelve, but one giant sheet cookie.
- For thicker cookies, don’t flatten with the bottom of a glass.
- For flatter cookies (shown here) flatten slightly with the bottom of a clean glass after your cookies have been rolled in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
If you try making these Snickerdoodle Cookies, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to read your thoughts and feedback!
More Cookie Recipes
Caramelized Apple Oatmeal Cookies
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookie Recipe
Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Best Ever Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe (How to Make Sugar Cookies)
DON’T FORGET TO PIN AND SHARE THESE PERFECT SNICKERDOODLE COOKIES WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR A DELICIOUS SWEET TREAT.
RECIPE CARD
Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter - softened (see notes)
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs - brought to room temperature
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the cinnamon sugar-coating
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a large stand-mixer, cream the butter and the sugar medium speed for 4-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy (this step is always important in baking). Then, add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined, approximately 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of your bowl, if needed, and, with the mixer running add the vanilla. Continue to mix for an additional 1 minute.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
- With your mixer set to low-speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, and mix just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Time allowing, cover your mixing bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Not too long that the dough hardens completely, but just long enough that it will be easier to roll into small balls.
- Meanwhile, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. If you love extra cinnamon, double the total amount of cinnamon to 2 tablespoons.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop equally sized balls of dough (approximately 1 tablespoon). Roll the cookie dough balls between the palms of your hands until they are round and smooth. Carefully drop into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and roll to coat in the mixture. Transfer to your parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Optional- for flatter, less fluffed up snickerdoodle cookies, gently press down in the center of each dough ball using the bottom of a glass cup just slightly.
- Transfer baking sheets to your preheated oven and bake for 7-9 minutes (total cooking time will vary), or until golden around the edges. Allow cookies to rest for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Jessica's Notes
- I always use salted butter when I cook and bake. Feel free to use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. If you choose to use salted butter but you're concerned about the total salt content, simply reduce the additional added by one-half (so add only 1/2 teaspoon salt rather than a full teaspoon.
- For thicker cookies, don't flatten with the bottom of a glass.
- For flatter cookies (shown here) flatten slightly with the bottom of a clean glass after your cookies have been rolled in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container on the kitchen counter for up to 3-4 days.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
I have NEVER been able to master the snickerdoodle but this recipe is perfect!!!! Im so happy I stumbled across it.
Thanks Renee, I am glad to have helped you master it 😀